HOME OF THE CHARGERS

"Little" Spotswood looks to make big name for itself Home News Tribune Online 06/2/07 By GREG TUFARO STAFF WRITER gtufaro@thnt.com No matter how successful the Spotswood High School baseball program has been over the past decade, the Chargers still have trouble gaining respect from the rest of the Greater Middlesex Conference. "Our kids are tired of taking back seats to bigger programs that have been in these bigger games before," said Spotswood coach Glenn Fredricks, who leads his team into today's 3 p.m. conference tournament final against J.P. Stevens at East Brunswick Tech. "Our kids use it as motivation when they hear, "You are just a Group II school,' or when they hear, "You play in the (Blue) Division.' These kids see it as baseball. They don't see it as, "Oh, you're a Red Division team.' They are not star-struck like some teams may be. "Another thing that drives this team is they want to be considered one of the top programs, and it doesn't matter what people say about them, it doesn't matter who they are playing against. They are just here to play ball, have fun and win." Regardless of the outcome of today's game, the top-seeded Chargers (22-4), who played arguably the most difficult schedule in the conference, have already proved in the minds of many that they are the league's best team. With Rutgers University-bound ace Willie Beard (10-1, 1.76), who will get the start today, and senior right-hander Mike Hohman (6-1, 2.07), the Chargers have the GMC's best 1-2 starting combination. The duo has combined to surrender just one run in three conference tournament games. From top to bottom, the Chargers do not have a weak stick in the lineup. Spotswood boasts a .374 team batting average with eight regulars hitting .329 or better. Fredricks' players do all of the little things right offensively and defensively. His teams are notoriously aggressive on the base paths, manufacturing runs rather than waiting for good things to happen. And if the coach wants to manage like Earl Weaver, he has plenty of players who can deliver the three-run homer (five starters have belted two or more round trippers this year). Spotswood has appeared in the GMCT semifinals four times in the past seven years and last reached the tournament final in 2001, suffering a 4-1 loss to Edison. This year's team may be the most special in school history. The addition of freshman shortstop Cody Pace helped shape Spotswood into a championship caliber club. His presence enabled Hohman to remain at his natural position — second base — where he is arguably the county's finest defensively, rather than make the switch to the left side of the infield. Fredricks described Pace as a "future superstar." First baseman C.J. Mooney, quarterback of the football team, personifies the team's never-say-die attitude. Left fielder Brian Curci is a gutsy player who wants to win as badly as anybody on the team. Designated hitter Mike Collins is an unsung hero who has served as the bridge between the top and bottom of the lineup. Third baseman John Michael Berner, according to Fredricks, "bleeds blue and gold. All he ever wanted to do was play baseball for this program." Berner has emerged as one of the league's top power hitters (six homers and 28 RBI). Center fielder Phil Spina, in Fredricks' opinion, is as good defensively as any outfielder in the league. Spina has raised his batting average more than 200 points from a year ago. Fredricks described right fielder Joey Petosa, who switched from center field for the good of the team, as the "most unheralded player in the county." "He can do it all with the bat," Fredricks said. "He hits for power, average. He does everything right at the plate and in the field." Petosa, it seems, epitomizes Spotswood baseball.